To Be the Mate of a Lord
by Deep-Within-the-Labyrinth
Summary: Rin has grown up and Sesshomaru has returned to find her a husband, however nothing ever goes according to plan and it is no different for these two. Rin is hurt and leaves and Sesshomaru realizes just how important she really is to him. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**Hello, this is my first chapter of this story. I would appreciate reviews and commentary, however, please do not write anything that you would not wish to have said back to you. I am open to and welcome constructive critisim as long as it is resonable. Thank you for your time and I hope you enjoy my story. Also I do not own, nor have ever owned the characters to Inuyasha all of which belong to VIZ and R.T.

**P.S.: **This story is rated M for future chapters. Content includes violence, language, and sexual content. If any of the previously stated subjects bother you then it is recommended that youu proceed no further.

Chapter One

Sessho-maru walked through the forest the breeze stirring his long silver hair…it had been ten years—ten years since he had left her in the care of others. She had been a young child then of only eight, he knew she needed a woman's care and love. And he had other things to take care of…like maintaining the Western Domain that his father had left him. He didn't have time to look after her and give her what she wanted or needed, and he certainly had no intention of entrusting that task to Jaken.

As he neared the edge of the forest the strong scent of humans hit him, along with the smell of a particular half demon. Although his brother's and his relationship was far from loving he did trust and respect his brother in his own way. He trusted him with the care of _her_ after all. Knowing that he would protect her the same way he protected Kagome—with his life. A particular scent of flowers traveled to his nose as he walked along the path…the flowers that she loved. When she was with him she was always picking the silly things and making crowns which Jaken would later have the unfortunate luck to wear, and on occasion he too would find the flowers tucked away into his hair. For some reason this small "prank" never angered him, but rather it made him smile. And as he approached the hut of Kaede he found it hard to remain untouched by the fond memories of her.

As he entered the old woman's hut, he found her sitting by the fire stirring a pot of what appeared to be soup…although he never wanted to admit it he was indebted to her…she agreed to help him and raise the child in his stead, making sure that she was well looked after and provided for. And for that he would be forever grateful.

"Ah Lord Sessho-maru, ye have returned." said Kaede acknowledging him with a nod.

"Yes…" he began, but stopped short looking around for the girl.

_Where is she?_

"Ah—I see ye are looking for the girl…she is out in the fields with Kagome…picking some flowers with the children I believe."

Sessho-maru's face softened…but then the thoughts of his purpose for returning drifted back to him.

"Kaede-sama, I have returned to ensure her happiness…I realize that she is no longer a child, and there are likely be many suitors who will look to have her hand in marriage…I will not allow her to marry some man who will abuse her, therefore I have come to find her a suitable husband…" sighed Sessho-maru sitting down across from her.

_She will be wed to someone who is well-suited and who will lavish affection upon her…_

"Have you thought of discussing this with her—after all she is a headstrong girl, and although ye may have the best intentions she may not see it in such a manner."

"I thought you were supposed to break her of that stubbornness…" chuckled Sessho-maru.

"She learned from the best…" stated Kaede cracking a wrinkled grin. "Between ye, Inuyasha, and Kagome, I was defeated all three of ye are so stubborn that there was no hope of success in that area."

Sessho-maru smiled slightly and couldn't help chuckling to himself.

_Ah…of course she was…_

"Ye should go to her…she will be happy to see ye."

"I will return in a little while then, for there is much to discuss and resolve." said Sessho-maru rising.

_What is going to happen if she rejects this?_

Sessho-maru left the hut and began walking towards the fields when he spotted Kagome and Inuyasha walking back…arguing as usual. "I said 'NO' Inuyasha!" "What's your problem—why are you acting like such a b—" "INUYASHA SIT BOY!" this of course was followed by a loud thud for which he merely frowned and shook his head. Didn't those two ever tire of fighting? As he moved closer their arguing stopped and they both looked over at him surprised.

"Sessho-maru, how are you?" asked Kagome cheerfully.

"I have been well…"

_As if I am ever anything but well…_

"Sessho-maru." said Inuyasha giving him a tight nod.

"Inuyasha." said Sessho-maru returning the gesture.

"Where is Rin?" asked Sessho-maru perplexed as to why she was not with them.

"She said she was going to stay for a while, she likes to do that every once in awhile—don't worry the forest is safe so there's nothing to be concerned about, she'll be back in an hour or so." said Kagome.

"I will go to her now…" said Sessho-maru, and without another word he left and began walking off in the opposite direction.

It would be better that they have this conversation away from prying eyes and ears…kami only knew how she was going to react…

Rin walked through the forest, the breeze making the trees whisper as she passed by. She looked around, no one was there. She sighed in relief and slipped her sandals off. As much as she loved Kagome and Inuyasha taking care of her, she appreciated her time alone. Nothing could be more frustrating than when the two of them would start fighting and continue fighting…for hours…She could hear a river nearby, the sound relaxed her and she followed it cheerfully, the moss under her feet was soft and tickled. She couldn't help giggling to herself, as her mind wandered off…back to a time in which she would often run through the forest waiting for _him_ to return. She smiled thinking of how she used to feel so happy then…so complete. Now, even though she was never in want of anything…she felt like she was missing something. She had come to the river and sat down quietly, it had been ten years since she had come to live in the village with the others. He had promised to visit, but he never had…she would come home to find packages of beautiful kimonos or combs but never him…he had been the only family she had had, and she was still hurt—had she done something wrong?

Sessho-maru followed the path of her scent through the forest…memories drifting back to him as he walked.

*Flashback*

He had just returned from the Western Domain, he had been gone for several days and it was late. He could see a dim fire glowing and Jaken asleep with his staff in his arms, but there was no sign of the girl…his heartbeat quickened, where was she? His eyes scanned the campsite frantically when they suddenly came to rest up a small figure curled up on the outskirts of the camp by Ah-and Un. He sighed in relief. A realization coming to him…he was worried about her. She was no longer some experiment to him…he cared about where she was and what happened to her…His dragon pet acknowledge him with a slight whine as he looked back down at the small girl curled up next to it. He shook his head and gently picked her up carrying her back towards the warmth of the campsite. He laid himself down and gently laid her on his fur, making sure she was warm enough. As he looked at the sleeping child by his side a sudden sadness overcame him…she would be gone long before he ever reached the middle of his life—she was human, and that was something he could not forget. She needed to be with her own people, her own species…all he would bring upon her and himself was pain and heartache. She deserved better…she needed to be taken away from the horror and dangers of war…and so she would be…as soon as the right opportunity presented itself…

*End of Flashback*

Sessho-maru heaved a sigh…it had been ten years, and he had not seen her since then, that day when he left her…

Rin frowned at the unpleasant direction her thoughts had taken, obviously Sessho-maru had forgotten about her…why else would he have not returned during these past ten years—she was alone and abandoned…again…she tried to wipe the tears out of her eyes quickly…knowing it was a wasted effort, her tears could not make him return to her…

Sessho-maru suddenly became alarmed, he could smell tears, her tears…was she unhappy? Who had made her unhappy, the thoughts of what he would do to that person raced through his mind. He felt his teeth and nails begin to sharpen. He quickened his pace through the brush only to come to a clearing in which a river flowed through, there by the bank he saw a woman…he smelled the air again—it was her scent, but where was she?

Rin again wiped the tears away from her eyes, when she suddenly sensed a presence behind her. She turned quickly and gasped in shock…


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Please rate and review, and again this is rated M for a reason. Also I do not own, nor have ever owned the characters to Inuyasha all of which belong to VIZ and R.T.

Chapter Two

The woman turned around to meet his eyes, and suddenly he was lost…he knew those brown eyes, and that soft long brown hair. It _was_ her…but she was crying…

"Rin?" he asked in a choked voice.

_Who hurt her?_

"Lord Sessho-maru? Is that really you?"

_This is too good to be real…surely this is a dream or illusion…_

"Yes…why are you crying?" the pain that rippled through his chest was unyielding.

"Why did you not visit? You promised me you would…" whispered Rin in a harsh tone, completely disregarding his question.

_He is the reason for my tears…and pain._

"I—I did visit…" began Sessho-maru.

"Only when I was away!" said Rin choking back another sob.

Sessho-maru stared at her…_Did it really bother her that much? I have always made sure that she had the best of everything…_

"I never wanted your gifts…I only wanted to see you…I'm sorry that you found my presence so distasteful…" said Rin turning around.

_After all Jaken made it clear that Sessho-maru felt nothing towards me except obligation and pity…a poor human girl, saved by the "mighty Lord Sessho-maru"…_

"What are you babbling on about?" retorted Sessho-maru.

"Do not trouble yourself milord…it isn't **worth** your concern…" said Rin stubbornly.

_Well…Kaede was right…she was even __**more**__ stubborn than he remembered. _Thought Sessho-maru sighing.

"To what do I owe the honor of your presence today?" snapped Rin, fighting the fresh batch of tears.

_Please don't say it…_

"I…I have come to find you a husband…" said Sessho-maru softly.

_No…no…this can't be happening…_

"So that's it? I see, I'm sorry that you went through all of that trouble _Lord Sessho-maru_ but that was not necessary…I have no intention of marrying." replied Rin stiffly keeping her back to him.

_What? What's wrong…why is she suddenly so cold? And why does she no longer wish to marry? _

"Why do you no longer wish to marry?" asked Sessho-maru perplexed.

_When she was little she often used to talk about growing up and having a house and a husband in her life…why has that changed?_

"Why or why not I choose to marry is none of your business!" snapped Rin turning around to face him and gave him a contemptuous glare.

_How dare she! After everything I have done to make her life happy!_

"Silence!" barked Sessho-maru moving his hand before he thought twice.

His hand landed squarely against her cheek and she stumbled back loosing her balance, her hand clutching the side of her face.

Sessho-maru stopped and looked at his hand, then he looked to Rin who's face showed a display of emotions, hurt, anger…but worse than that…betrayal. He had never seen her upset before, but he had never hit her before either… The side of her face was red and he smelt blood. He looked at his hand to see the tips of his nails red…

"Rin…" he began softly as he reached out to her.

Rin flinched and took a step back from him…she had known he found her nothing but a troublesome nuisance, but when he struck her, she had wished she was dead…she had never hurt this much before, the villagers had used to beat her when she was a child…she _could _take that…but this pain, this was entirely different… he had hit her…she was entitled to live her own life, he obviously didn't want her in his…

"Stay away from me…" she all but growled at him. Tears burning in her eyes…

_How could you…?_

"Rin…I—" began Sessho-maru again starting towards her.

_Oh Kami what have I done?_

"I don't care…it doesn't matter…you needn't trouble yourself with me anymore…I know you find being around me a nuisance…" mumbled Rin backing away and turning around, "Just leave me alone, you can do that can't you?"

'_A nuisance'?_

"…" Sessho-maru stared after her as she walked away from him…his hand still stung, and his face burned with shame…he had hurt her…when she had cared for him all those years ago she had been bruised and beaten…and when he took her on as his ward, he swore to himself that he would never treat her as those humans had…if for no other reason because he was superior being…he was a full-fledged demon…better than those foolish humans, he had no need to abuse a woman or child in order to gain what he desired, but it was more than that…somewhere along the way through the years she had found a place in his heart, it had felt so natural that he hadn't even realized it. He felt his knees weaken…as he sank to the ground the realization for the affection he held for her and abhorrence for what he had done flashed through his mind over and over again.

How had something so wonderful ended so badly? He had returned, and by the end of their conversation he admitted that the reason for his return was not to see her but to give her away to someone else…and when she refused he had slapped her for it…the reason why she didn't want to marry was because of _him…_ he was the one she loved…throughout her years of separation from him the fondness she felt towards him shifted into something deeper…into the love of a woman, although she knew that all she was to him was a mere child, the memories that she had of him grew fonder and fonder by the day until she realized it was no longer fondness but love that she felt towards him, he was the man she compared all others to…and no one had ever matched or measured up to him in her heart. She knew that he would never love her and thus they would never be together, but better than marrying some poor man who she knew she would never love. And here he was breaking her heart…just as she knew he would. Trying to give her away to someone else was the last thing that she ever wanted…she would rather live her life in celibacy than love another…no not love another—be GIVEN to another…by the very man she loved no less…

She ran through the forest, her only thought was to leave. She didn't care where she was she didn't care that she was all alone…at that moment all she wanted was to be as far away from everyone and everything as possible. Her vision became blurred as she ran; trying to wipe away the tears she lost sight of her direction and lost her balance, tumbling down a steep hill, deeper into the foliage. Exhausted and hurting she cracked her eyes open and looked around…nothing, only trees. With an aching body and broken heart she slipped into unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note:** Please R&R! Also I do not own any of the characters from Inuyasha (I only take credit for the plot). And once again please remember that this story is rated M.

Chapter Three

Sessho-maru looked around him…the sun had set, and the trees had become shadows…sighing heavily he rose and proceeded back towards the village where he intended to discuss everything with Rin again, perhaps he could change her mind...as well as the fact that his hand still felt the sting of his slap, and he knew that he had to ask her forgiveness, if nothing else. As he entered Kaede's hut he was surprised to see that everyone was there looking at him with a curious facial expressions…then it occurred to him, Rin was not there…her scent was no where to be found.

"Where is Rin?" he asked trying to suppress his anxiety.

_She had not returned…_

"We thought that she was with you, she hasn't returned yet either…" said Kagome distressed.

"I see…" said Sessho-maru looking away.

"Ah, I figured as much." sighed Kaede mysteriously, stoking the fire.

"I will go and bring her back." said Sessho-maru as he quickly exited the hut.

Where is she? I thought she would have been back by now, the rain—damn! This makes it even more difficult to pick up her scent!

Sessho-maru's thoughts became fragmented and panicked as he ran through the forest looking for any trace of her. For most of the night his search was in vain…there was nothing, not a footprint nor a scent to be found…the rain was doing its job all too well. Coming to a halt Sessho-maru looked around in despair. Lightening cracked across the sky and thunder harked in the distance. Every part of his frustration and anger surfaced

_Why__was__I__not__able__to__keep__her__safe?__Why__was__I__the__one__to__hurt__her?__Where__is__she?__Why?_ His eyes flashed red and he roared against the night itself…

Rin awoke to the trickle of water running down the sides of her face. As she sat up she winced in pain…she had twisted her ankle pretty badly when she fell. She looked around her, none of the forest looked familiar…she was lost. She chuckled darkly to herself…the day just kept getting better and better. As she moved to stand she grabbed a fallen branch using it as a walking stick to pull herself up. It was getting dark and she knew better than to be out and leave herself exposed to the elements, when a storm was coming. Limping through the forest Rin found herself at the entrance to a cave. As unwilling as she was to enter for fear of what might be lurking within it, she was even more unwilling to leave herself exposed. Shivering and tired Rin entered the cave and lowered herself to the ground wincing when she accidentally applied pressure to her ankle. Lightening split the sky…and she heard thunder rumbling, but suddenly there was a loud roar breaking the silence…it seemed to call to her "RIN!" but she shook her head…it was only her imagination…she pulled her legs close to her chest as she let her mind drift.

*Flashback*

It was pouring, much like tonight, they had found shelter in a cave nearby waiting for Lord Sessho-maru to return…he had been gone for days…even Master Jaken was worried…the lightening startled her and she whimpered. Master Jaken had fallen asleep several hours before and now she was all alone as the fire died out…it was similar to this night…the night her parents had been murdered…and it frightened her…she curled herself into a little ball afraid to move…suddenly there came a noise from the entrance of the cave. She froze, tears already forming in her eyes…the noise moved closer to her and she shut her eyes tightly…

"Rin?"

Her eyes flew open at the sound of _his_voice.

"Lord Sessho-maru?" she asked quickly wiping the tears away from her eyes.

"Rin…are you crying?" his voice was hesitant and so unsure…as if he didn't know what to do.

"No Milord…" she said with a sniffle.

"Foolish girl…" said Sessho-maru with his eyes warming ever so slightly.

Suddenly lightening split the sky again and she jumped, hiding herself in the closest thing possible…his fur. She had never touched it before and was surprised by how soft it was… She froze…he was probably very upset with her for it…she waited for him to bark out harsh words, or to be hit, or pushed away, but none of it came…Eventually she gathered the courage to peek up at him and saw that he was staring down at her expressionless, all but his eyes…which held surprise. She waited for him to say something…

"Does the rain frighten you?"

"Yes…"

"I understand…" his response was so simple, so unemotional that she didn't know what to do…so reluctantly she let go of his fur.

Without another word Lord Sessho-maru walked over to the dying fire and threw several logs on it, making it big and warm. Slowly she walked towards him as he seated himself by the fire using the wall behind him as a back rest. The sound of thunder made her jump again and without thinking twice about it she again huddled against Sessho-maur's fur. Again she waited for him to get angry and again he did not…as she drifted of to sleep she heard him whisper…

"Only for tonight…you silly girl…"

*End of Flashback*

The sound of thunder brought her out of her thoughts…pulling her legs closer to her she buried her head in her arms and cried herself to sleep.

Sessho-maru awoke the next morning to the sun on his face and birds chirping in the distance. He sighed, the events of the day before still played in his mind, he shook his head and stood up. There was no sign of her…and that worried him.

_I__have__to__find__her__…__to__make__her__understand__…_

Rin awoke early the next morning and glanced around sighing heavily as she assessed the damage done the night before when she fell. He clothes were muddy and torn, she glanced back to her ankle and was relieved to see that the swelling had reduced significantly, probably due to the cold weather of the previous night…other than that she had a few minor scratches on her arms and legs but nothing too severe… she sighed and used the stick as support in order to stand. Wincing as she did she hobbled out of the cave in the direction that she thought she had come from. But as she continued walking and no sign of a road came into view she began to worry.

_Oh__dear__…__I__think__I__might__be__lost__…_

Suddenly a small stream came into view through the trees. She quickened her pace towards it…if nothing else it would serve her well in allowing her to clean herself up and rest. The stream made a soft gentle noise comforting her in a small way. She sighed in relief as she eased her ankle into the cool water. She looked into the stream taking in her reflection…a large purplish blue bruise lined the side of her face from where she had been struck along with a line of cuts left from his nails scratching her face. The cuts weren't incredibly deep, but they most definitely would leave a scar. She scowled at her reflection…

Eventually she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep as she lay in the grass. All of her worries fading from her mind as she was overcome with exhaustion.

She awoke later on, the sun high in the sky. She brought her leg towards her chest and examined her ankle. The cool water had done her ankle good; it was almost back to its original shape and size. Sighing with relief she grabbed the sleeve of her kimono and ripped it off, and then she ripped it down the seam and held it in the water, after a minute she brought it out of the water and wrapped it around her ankle. After she had tied the ends into a secure knot she used the stick to stand, and her stomach rumbled. She glanced around looking for anything to eat when suddenly her eyes came to rest upon a bush on the outskirts of the clearing, it was covered in berries…but as she had learned as a child, she never ate something from the wild without making sure that it was first safe to eat…she watched closely waiting for animals to approach the fruit. She had but to wait a few minutes before birds flew to the berries and began to peck at them. Content with the fact that the fruit was not going to make her ill she walked over to it and began to eat.

After she had eaten her fill of the fruit she began to walk through the forest again, trying to find her way. As it neared sunset she found a small path that led around a bend. Satisfied that it might possibly lead her to a village where she could treat her injuries and rest she hurried racing the nightfall.

Sessho-maru ran through the forest looking for any signs of her; panic beginning to overtake him as his search remained empty. He had combed through most of the forest surrounding the village and its outskirts. After all she was only a human…she couldn't have run very far…but the previous night's rain was making it hard to track anything.

By mid-day his search had turned up nothing, and he feared the worst.

_If__something__has__happened__to__her__it__will__be__my__fault__…__I__pushed__her__away__…_

The thought of something ill befalling her made him increase his pace as he ran through the forest, looking for but a trace of where she had been.

Night came fast to him as he ran…there was still no trace of her. He came to an abrupt halt and sank down against a tree…letting his mind wander…

*Flashback*

"LORD SESSHO-MARU!" Sessho-maru had looked down to see Jaken running about in circles on the ground.

"What is it Jaken?" he asked stepping down from Ah and Un.

"It is Rin milord! She has disappeared!" cried the little imp cowering at his feet.

"**You**were supposed to watch her Jaken…Are you incapable of performing the duties that I give you?" asked Sessho-maru calmly.

"No milord! She went to go find some food, but she has been gone for over four hours and has not returned. And when I went to look for her I could not find her!" said Jaken speaking as fast as he could.

"Very well…take care of Ah and Un, you can do that can you not? I will bring her back." said Sessho-maru walking off through the forest.

He scented the air, but there was no trace of her. A sudden panic gripped him as the thoughts of what could have happened to her raced through his mind. Shifting into his full demon form he raced through the forest looking for any trace of her. Suddenly he faintly picked up her scent and he ran towards it, but came to a sudden stop when the scent became stronger and transformed back…she had never seen him in his other form and he had no intention of scaring her with it at that moment. He swiftly began to walk towards the scent looking for the girl when he spotted a small stream. Had she fallen in? He looked from side to side of the stream trying to locate her, when he suddenly saw a glimpse of her kimono through the grass. He appeared in front of it ready for the worst, only to find Rin curled up asleep under the tree.

He sighed in relief as she breathed softly in her sleep. Shaking his head from side to side he gently reached down and picked her up, holding her to his chest. As he walked through the forest with her in his arms she stirred and looked up at him.

"Lord Sessho-maru?" she asked softly.

"Yes Rin?"

"Welcome back." She grinned up at him.

Surprise crossed his features as he stared down at the small child in his arms. She was so different from what he had imagined all humans to be like, and it made him uncomfortable, worried even…

"What were you doing all the way out there?" he asked changing the subject.

"Looking for berries my lord…they were quite good." Said Rin still smiling.

"Jaken was worried…he could not find you." said Sessho-maru, not bothering to mention how worried he had been when he had found her missing as well.

"I'm sorry milord, but after I ate, I was so tired…I only meant to rest for a moment…" said Rin looking down, her smile gone.

Somehow when her smile disappeared it bothered him and he wanted to see her smiling again…

"You're not mad at me, are you Lord Sessho-maru?" asked Rin as she began to fidget.

"No." replied Sessho-maru looking ahead.

"Thank you milord!" said Rin smiling up at him again.

"Hmph." Was his only reply.

*End of Flashback*

_Where are you now Rin?_

Sessho-maru sighed and let his head drop. The smell of her blood on his nails was still there even after he had washed his hands and it was a constant reminder as to why Rin was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **Here is another chapter, please R&R I'd love to know what you guys think about the story thus far. Again to mention I do not claim ownership to any of the characters from Inuyasha and this is and will continue to be an M rated fiction.

Chapter Four

Rin used the stick as she walked along the road, dusk had come quickly and as the sky began to fade a village came into view. As she got closer she came to an abrupt halt…something about the village seemed eerily familiar. The villagers that were by their huts stopped their tasks and stared at her in shock and surprise. Rin looked around her…realization hitting her. Her small hut still remained on the outskirts by the water. She shuddered and looked around, everyone was peeking out their huts staring at her as she walked by, when she was suddenly approached by three large men.

"What are you doing here?"

Rin stared in shock as the three men drew closer.

"Are you deaf, dumb, blind, and mute?" snapped one of the men grabbing her arm.

That was the last straw for her—first Sessho-maru, and now this man. Rin jerked back and punched the man in the face. "Do not touch me with your filthy hands you animals!"

The man sat up and looked at her in shock.

"I have no intention of bothering you—I intend to move on as soon as my ankle heals." snapped Rin glaring at the three men and anyone else who bothered to stare at her.

The three of them backed away from her slowly, "Only until your ankle heals." snarled another one of the three. Rin looked at him and nodded in acknowledgement. As she turned towards her old hut a woman ran out screaming, "Somebody help! Please! My child!"

The village women ran out and gathered around her in a comforting fashion, but the woman continued to sob, "She is ill! Please somebody! Help me!"

Rin watched as the men gathered a few feet away from her and began muttering amongst themselves; "That child has a fever—no doubt it's contagious!" "We must not interfere—" "She will surely die—there is nothing we can do for her…" She snorted at their cowardice, and she turned to leave, but the sound of the mother's sobs drifted back to her, and Rin found herself turning around and walking back towards the distressed mother.

"Do you have an herbal garden near here?" asked Rin kneeling down next to the mother. She looked up into Rin's face; tears of gratefulness ran down her face as she nodded. For once Rin was glad for all of Kagome's rigorous and repetitive training, the miko had encouraged Rin to learn the different types of herbs and their purposes. As Rin entered the small hut of the family, she saw the small girl lying on the futon, her face and body flushed with fever and a rash. She had seen this before, and Kagome had shown her how to treat it. She rushed back out of the hut and towards the herb garden, gathering the plants that she would need. And as she walked back towards the hut; several of the women approached her.

"Is there anything we can do?" asked one of the women.

"Yes, is there a well, or stream nearby?" asked Rin.

The women nodded.

"Good, then I need several buckets of cool water and some cloth." said Rin as she turned and entered the hut.

The girl was tossing restlessly in her sleep and mumbling incoherently. She kneeled down next to her and began to use the stone wheel to grind and mix the herbs. Shortly after she had finished mixing the herbs several of the women returned carrying with them several buckets of water and shredded cloths. Taking them from the women she soaked one set of cloths in one of the buckets and the other she brought nearer towards the small girl, kneeling down she took a small cup and put a measured amount of herbs in the cup and added the water, she then stirred it until the liquid was satisfactory. Then very gently she lifted the girl's head up and forced the liquid down her throat. After she had managed to get the girl to drink several cups of the mixture she laid her back down and used the cool shredded cloths to wipe down the girl's fevered body. She then sat back against the wall nearest the small girl and closed her eyes to wait.

Rin awoke to the sound of sobs echoing throughout the hut. As she opened her eyes she saw the mother weeping while embracing the small girl who was looking around rather confused. When the mother noticed that Rin had awoken she threw herself at her feet and began to cry words of thanks. Rin smiled gently patted the mother's hand.

"How can I ever repay you?" cried the mother.

"It was nothing…I'm just glad that I could be of some help." said Rin smiling as she slowly got to her feet.

"Surely there must be something…" the woman pressed.

"No t'was no trouble, I assure you." said Rin as she handed the mother a small bag of herbs. "Make sure that she drinks two cups of this herbal tea, preferably in cool water until the tea is used up."

"Thank you…" said the mother bowing again.

Rin smiled and nodded as she exited the hut. Outside she was surprised to see the rest of the villagers, men, women, and children, gathered around looking at her with interest.

"We thank you…" said a woman stepping forward.

"Yes, we are in your debt—please you are welcome to stay here for as long was you'd like." said another one of the women.

Rin looked to the village men, who abruptly looked away and nodded. "Thank you…" she said as she walked towards her old hut. So this was to be the start of her new life—ironic that this was the village where her old life had ended and where her life with _him_ had begun. She cringed as the painful memories of what was—and what would never be again rushed back to her. She shook her head in an attempt to keep her memories at bay, it was time to move on…

Sessho-maru walked through the forest alone…that was all he seemed to do these days. It had been over nine months since she had disappeared. Never had he found any trace of her, left to believe the worst he had given up his search. His Western Domain no longer held the significance that it had while she was alive, and now that she was gone it was as if everything that had held meaning in his life was gone as well. His arm had rejuvenated many months prior thanks to a herbal remedy that Kaede and Kagome had created, but even so he no longer felt the need to use the power it provided to prove his strength.

"LORD SESHO-MARU!"

Sessho-maru cringed as the familiar voice of Jaken drew closer. He sighed, it seemed that no matter what he said or did the little toad imp was never far behind, refusing to abandon his lord.

"What is it Jaken?"

"Your mother requests your presence milord!" huffed out Jaken as he kneeled at his lord's feet.

"I have no desire to waste my time with such worthless things." Growled Sessho-maru annoyed, he had no desire to listen to one of his mother's lectures.

"She said that she knew you would say that, and to remind you of your oath." said Jaken cowering.

"My oath…" sneered Sessho-maru his eyes switching from golden to red and back again.

"Milord?" questioned Jaken.

"Very well Jaken, report to my mother that I will join her shortly." growled Sessho-maru.

"Yes, milord…" said Jaken cringing, before he bowed again and scurried off to relay his message.

Sessho-maru sighed and looked up at the sky, not looking forward to what his mother had to say…but the sooner he appeared and listened to what she had to say, the sooner he could be free of her….

"Lady Rin! Lady Rin!"

Rin looked up into the faces of the eager village children, and smiled.

"Yes?" she asked brushing her bangs out of her eyes.

"What are we going to do today Lady Rin?" asked one of the eager young boys.

"Today we are going to gather some herbs and flowers." said Rin grinning.

The children surrounded her laughing and dancing as they followed her into the field. Her ankle had healed shortly after she had returned to the village, and the scratches and bruises had long since scarred or healed. But every time she looked at her reflection she was reminded of _him_. The place where he had slapped her had healed and in its place were four long scars, which ran from her cheek almost to the corner of her left eye. Since then she had been begrudgingly accepted by the men, and welcomed with open arms by the women and children. She had used her experience of herbs to help treat many of the ailments that the villagers were plagued with.

Several of the smaller children held her hands as they walked into the field watching as the older children ran ahead.

Sessho-maru walked down the long hall, whispers following him as he moved. He stood before the great doors and waited. Suddenly the doors opened inward and he proceeded forward. There at the top of a large set of stairs sat a woman, who was leisurely lying upon one of the futons, surrounded by maids and slaves. She looked down at him and smiled, although it was not a smile meant to welcome, but more of a smile intended to threaten. Sessho-maru kept his gaze level and in turn replied, "Hello mother."

"Sessho-maru…so you finally decided to pay me a visit did you?" she said motioning for one of her maid's to begin to fan her.

"It was not as if I was left with much of a choice was it?" sneered Sessho-maru.

"Now, now lets not cry over spilled milk…" said his mother absently waving her hand in a careless fashion.

"Is there something you wanted?" growled Sessho-maru through his teeth.

"I was just wondering…have you decided to take a bride yet?" his mother looked at him with a malicious gleam in her eyes.

"What business is that of yours?"

"I was just curious, that's all…" said his mother smiling. Suddenly one of the slave girls got up, and began to dance in front of his mother. "If you're having such a difficult time, I could always give you one of _my _girls…" his mother let the statement trail off.

"I have no interest in finding a bride." Snarled Sessho-maru.

"Come, come…no reason to be snippy with your mother."

"Is that all?' growled Sessho-maru eyeing the exit.

"I'm glad to see that you uphold your oaths…" said his mother switching the topics, and leaving him slightly confused for a moment.

"This Sessho-maru has always upheld his oaths." stated Sessho-maru while he glared at his mother.

"Yes, but after what happened I was worried that you would refuse to come…" said his mother pretending to pout.

"You mean, after I found out that you were a manipulating, whoring bitch?" snarled Sessho-maru.

"My, my, such animosity…tsk tsk…" said his mother making a clicking noise with her tongue.

"You used my father to gain a kingdom." His eyes flashed red with that statement.

"Oh, you're referring to the fact that after I provided him with an heir I no longer found his touch bearable…." mused his mother.

"That is correct, you only found the touch of young female slaves' satisfying." said Sessho-maru with disgust laced through his voice.

"Come now Sessho-maru, this wouldn't be the first marriage that was made for a political gain…"

"Because of you my father sought the arms of someone else for comfort…and thus my blood has been tied to that hanyou…my _half_ brother…"

"Sessho-maru, even if I had been more welcoming to your father, he still would have gone to that human bitch…she was his mate…" sighed his mother while polishing her nails.

Sessho-maru's brow furrowed, he had never heard this explanation before. "What are you talking about?"

"While I married him…it was for political reasons only, but every male Inu-youkai has a predestined mate. That human was your father's…" finished his mother lying back further amongst her cushions.

"So you had me make **that** oath to you already knowing the truth?" his anger beginning to rise to the surface.

*Flashback*

_Sessho-maru watched as his father stormed through the castle. Another argument had arisen between his mother and father. His father was off to see his mistress Izioway again… And his mother was left crying in his wake. _

_He shook his head at his father and slipped off to comfort his mother. As he approached her chamber doors he could hear her sobbing from inside and sighed. She was always upset after one of their fights; personally he just wished they would shut the hell up. He didn't knock, instead he opened the door to find his mother sprawled across her bed sobbing into her pillow. _

"_Mother?" _

"_Oh Sessho-maru!" his mother sobbed sitting up and using her kimono sleeves to wipe at her eyes. _

"_I know…" said Sessho-maru quietly._

"_Promise me…promise me that no matter what you will never abandon me like your father…" sobbed his mother._

"_I promise…" whispered Sessho-maru as he awkwardly leaned down to press a soft kiss to her head._

*End of Flashback*

"You toyed with my emotions and feelings, just as you did with my father." Sessho-maru bit off.

"How else was I going to get what I wanted?" asked his mother yawning.

"There was a time mother when I would have done anything for you…but now it is all I can do to not kill you."

"Yes…so I've noticed…" sneered his mother as she bared her teeth at him. "Now get out of my sight."

"Good-bye mother." snapped Sessho-maru before curtly sketching a bow and leaving.

As he walked out to the stables to gather Ah and Uhn he was suddenly approached by an elderly looking demon.

"Lord Sessho-maru?"

"Yes?" replied Sessho-maru impatiently.

"It's been so long my lord…do you not remember me?" questioned the elder.

Sessho-maru looked at him more closely before he recognized him, "Ren?"

"Aye…" said the old man grinning sheepishly.

"Were you not an advisor to my father?" asked Sessho-maru puzzled.

"That I was…it was so long ago…" sighed Ren.

"What can I do for you?"

"There was something that I wished to discuss with you Milord…" began the man hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"Have you decided upon a bride?"

"Why does everyone feel the need to ask me that question?" growled Sessho-maru irritably.

"I only ask Milord, because I was wondering whether or not you have been told about your life mate?"

"My what?" sighed Sessho-maru.

"Your life mate. The one that you are destined to mate with and grow old with... She is the yin to your yang, she will be your other half in every sense of the word." said the old man sitting down on a bench nearby.

"Why was I never told about this?"

"Of that I do not know, but I do know that your father was never told about his life mate as well…" said Ren looking around.

"Then why are you telling me?" asked Sessho-maru confused.

"You saw what happened when your father found his mate…it ended in tragedy…I do not wish for the same fate to befall you."

"How will I be able to identify her?" His interest was beginning to become peaked.

"She will smell very distinct to you, different from any other living being—human or demon. You will know as soon as you see her for your demon side will react instinctively, wanting to mark her and lay claim so that she cannot be touched by another." said the man thoughtfully.

"Is there anything else I should know?" asked Sessho-maru uncomfortably.

"Oh…hmmm, yes I suppose that there is one more thing that you should know…On your first coupling with her, you need to let your instincts take over…there is a ritual to the first mating, and you need to be sure that it is done right. After that both of your lives will be tied to one line. Thus if she were human she would be given your life span. But most of all do not fear finding her…you will see—she will complete you…" said Ren while smiling.

"Thank you Ren…" nodded Sessho-maru.

"T'was no trouble milord." said Ren bowing.

Sessho-maru turned and mounted his two headed dragon. Ren had given him much to think about. This new information both puzzled and terrified him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Here is another chapter, hopefully I will be able to update regularly with no mishaps. I realize that Sessho-maru's personality is slightly altered, it was intentional. My goal was to show the change that Rin has brought into his life by simply being herself, and how those changes occured so gradually that Sessho-maru is not even aware of HOW mush he has changed. Also I can promise that Rin will eventually listen to him, but on the same hand Sessho-maru betrayed her trust in a way she never thought was possible, so she is still trying to come to terms with that. At this point most of the "separation" of the two of them is over :) The story will mostly focus soley on the development of their relationship now.

Again please remember this is rated M and soon there will definately be a reason. And also remember that I only claim ownership to the plot, I do not nor have I ever, nor will I ever own any of the characters from Inuyasha. Thanks for your time, and I hope you enjoy the latest chapter. Please R&R!

Chapter Five

It had been many months since Rin had come to live in her old village and she had grown to love it. She still awoke with his name on her lips, but he was no longer the forefront of her thoughts day in and day out. She had established a small but welcoming hut in the outskirts of the forest. It was a large single room with a fire pit and cooking pot in the middle, off to one side she had her futon and bed roll neatly folded, and on another side of the room she had the furs of animals, blankets, and clothing articles. She had also set up several warning "bells" incase any unwelcome visitors should appear. Along with this and her medical skills which she kept sharp, she also had begun training with one of the village elders in the art of hand to hand combat, the sword, and mastery of invisibility.

"Rin!" barked her master.

Rin bit back a groan and turned around to face her master.

"Hai?"

"You are very late—"

"Hai sensei…Takashi was very sick…" she mumbled.

"No excuses! Give me forty strokes!" he barked tossing her, her katana.

"Hai…" she muttered catching the wooden sword and taking her stance.

This was going to be a very long practice…

Sessho-maru walked through the forest…even with the knowledge that he had a predestined mate awaiting him, he could not forget her. He had failed her in every sense of the word and it haunted his dreams, and days. He wandered through the forest, Jaken close at his side. Suddenly he looked around and a sense of déjà vu hit him. This was where she had cared for him all those years ago…he fought back the painful memories. Suddenly the sound of children's laughter assailed his ears, his head shot up and he glanced around. In front of him he saw three young boys and a small girl dancing through the forest, the little girl holding a small doll in her arms. He quietly jumped into a tree and watched…waiting.

Suddenly one of the boys grabbed the doll from the little girl and began to tease her with it.

"You'd better give that back or you'll be sorry!" she threatened as tears began forming in her small eyes.

"What are you gonna do about it?" taunted another little boy.

"I'll tell Lady Rin! She'll make you give it back!" said the little girl smugly.

"Tattle Tail!" chanted the little boys.

Sessho-maru sat on the branch too stunned to move. Had he heard them right? He didn't even notice when the children scampered off, but he didn't care…Rin…could it really be her that the children were referring to? He had to find out…one way or another.

Silently he jumped down from the branch and landed next to a startled Jaken.

"Milord, do you think—is it possible…" Jaken couldn't even bring himself to finish his statement. He had seen first hand what losing the girl had done to his lord and he wasn't going to be responsible for causing further pain.

"I'm not sure Jaken…but I intend to find out…" said Sessho-maru trying to speak calmly.

"Aye milord." Although Jaken would never admit he did miss that small human girl tagging along after him and his lord. When he had been informed that Sessho-maru had taken her to live with Kaede in her village he was more distraught than he would have cared to have known.

"Stay here and await my return…" stated Sessho-maru breaking into his thoughts.

"Yes, Milord!" said Jaken standing in attention.

Sessho-maru then stalked off in the direction that the children had run off in, he refused to get his hopes up…if it was not her, then he would not be disappointed…

Rin walked through the forest towards her hut rubbing her arms. Her sensei had been harder on her today, probably because of the fact that she was late, but no matter. She smiled smugly to herself as she stretched; she was getting good, very good…

Sessho-maru was finding it very difficult to walk at a calm and slow pace. He wanted nothing more than to run at his full speed until he found one of the villagers and questioned him until he was satisfied. In agreement that this was his second best idea, Sessho-maru was about to take off running when suddenly his nose caught the smell of something sweet…something that he had never in all his years smelled before. Immediately his inner demon let out soft purr, he stopped dumbfounded; this was the scent of his life mate! Without thinking twice about it he stopped his ideas of searching for Rin and began to look for _her_.

Suddenly he caught sight of a woman walking through the trees, and the scent became stronger. His inner demon howled in joy as he ran towards her.

Rin was almost at her hut, despite the fact that she was very fond of the village children and women, she like to have her own privacy, thus when she began to build her hut she looked for a location that was out of the way and secluded. Suddenly a very strong aura hit her, it came out of no where, and it was enough to make the hairs on the back of her neck stand up… She shivered and turned around, there was no one there. She let out a sigh of relief and turned back in the direction of her hut. Without warning she bumped into something. She began stumbling back when suddenly the arms of the figure before her shot out and caught her. She was about to mumble a thanks and apology when she froze. She _knew_ the hands that were steadying her…her gut wrenched forward and she gasped.

Sessho-maru saw her beginning to fall and instinctively reached out to catch her. There was nothing inappropriate about this gesture, so then why did she gasp as if offended.

He took another deep breath—she was indeed his life mate, the sweet unusual scent was rolling off her in waves. His inner demon rejoiced…they had found her.

Suddenly the woman began struggling in his arms, trying to break free. He growled his displeasure and tighten his grip. There was no way in hell that he was going to let her go…she was his simple as that.

Rin began to panic—did he just growl? Why was he refusing to release her?

She struggled again, only to receive another deep growl from him. She took a deep breath, and began focusing on what she has learned from her training. Stopping her movements, she relaxed under his touch…she had to.

She stopped struggling. Satisfied that she wasn't going to fight him, Sessho-maru went back to examining the woman standing before him. She barely reached his shoulder but she had a sturdy well shaped build. Her hair was loosely pulled back, but her bangs hid her face from his view. Something he did not like, his inner demon growled telling him to show him her face… gently he reached down and began to tilt her chin upwards. He was again met with resistance, and it caused a reprimanding growl to emit from deep within his chest. But the woman refused to budge, and Sessho-maru leaned down to give her a reprimanding nip on the neck. It wasn't hard enough to draw blood, but it definitely sent out the message that he was not pleased.

Rin gasped as she felt his teeth graze her skin. What on earth was he doing? It was almost as if he didn't recognize her…which was a good thing of course…maybe…either way she needed to get away and clear her mind…

Sessho-maru peered down at the young woman before him curiously. Why did she not want to show him her face? Slightly amused, slightly irritated he grabbed her chin a little more forcefully and forced her head up.

His amber eyes clashed with wide brown ones. She was quite beautiful; he didn't understand why she had been so unwilling to show him her face. As his gaze traveled down her face his eyes caught on the dark scars that ran down the side of her cheek. Those were caused by a demon…not just by any demon either…him. His eyes jerked up to see the hurt in her big brown ones.

"Rin…?" he managed to choke out.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it, I will try to update again soon. Please R&R. And please remember I do not own any of the character's from Inuyasha, I only take credit for the plot. And also remember that the story is rated M for a reason and if it offends you then please do not read. Thank you for taking the time to read :)

Chapter Six

Rin's gaze widened—so he hadn't recognized her. She needed to get away…now. Taking advantage of his shock and distraction she broke his grip on her and made a run for it. She ran in the direction of the river, he was guided by his sense of smell, and she knew she could use that to her advantage.

Sessho-maru stood there for a moment dazed. It was Rin! His life mate was Rin! After all this time…he was dragged out of his thoughts when his inner demon growled. She was running from him—his mate was trying to defy him. His demon side snarled…this was unacceptable. He narrowed his eyes scanning the area before him. He would find her, and he would make her his…once and for all, then she could never leave him again. Somewhere deep inside his more primitive side rejoiced at that idea. Sessho-maru took off running after her with a faint smile on his lips.

Rin dashed towards the river, whatever his reason was for approaching her she didn't want to find out. The river came into view and Rin nearly jumped with joy…she was almost free. Just as she was about to make her escape she heard a small child scream. She looked around frantically to see one of the small village girls had lost her balance and fallen into the river. She was flailing her arms about in an attempt to swim, but the current was dragging her down and pulling her towards the waterfall.

Without another thought Rin jumped in the water after her, and using the swimming techniques Kagome had taught her began to make her way over to the little girl.

Sessho-maru followed her scent to the river. Nothing… he looked around frantically for any sign of her, but she had disappeared. He felt his knees begin to weaken and a snarl emit from his throat…he _would _find her, and when he did she would wish she had never run in the first place…He was about to begin his search anew when suddenly he heard a splash and looked up to see a figure fighting the currents. He watched in amazement as they made their way over to the bank of the river. The figure had something on their back as they waded through the water. Suddenly the strong scent of Rin made its way over to his nose, and he instantly reacted. He narrowed his eyes as he began to approach…she had _a lot_ to answer for…and he intended to get every single one of his questions answered to his satisfaction.

Rin was trying to catch her breath as she carried the small girl to the shore, she stumbled onto the water bank and laid the girl down…she wasn't breathing. Rin felt dread wash over her…she was going to die if something was not done immediately. Again Rin thought back to that time when Kagome had saved that small child who had almost drowned, she called it CPR. Rin began o do CPR on the girl, trying to get her to breath.

"Come on!" she said applying pressure to her chest.

Nothing…

"Breath damn it!" shouted Rin becoming upset.

Silence…

Rin gave one last final attempt, and suddenly the small girl began coughing and sobbing. When she opened her eyes she looked up to see Rin and began to sob harder throwing her arms around her waist.

"Lady Rin!" she sobbed

"Shhh…it's alright, you're safe now…" cooed Rin as she gently rocked the girl back and forth in her arms.

Suddenly Rin felt that presence again and looked up startled her eyes locking with shocked golden ones. She gasped surprised and pulled the small girl closer to her chest, while glaring at the great demon lord.

Sessho-maru stared in shock as Rin pulled the girl closer to her and glared up at him. He stood there unsure of what to do…would she run again?

But before he could make a decision Rin rose from the ground with the little girl in her arms, her hand wrapped tightly around Rin's neck, and began to walk towards the village.

What was she doing? Weren't those the same people who used to beat her as a child? He watched her walk away…he would let her go, for now…but she would have a lot of explaining to do…

As Rin walked away from her former lord she felt a pang of regret…he hadn't even bothered to ask anything…him stumbling upon her, was purely accidental…she ignored the pain that welled within her chest as she carried to sobbing child back towards the village. She had her life now, a life without him…and it would be best for her to keep it that way…no matter how much it hurt.

After dropping the girl off at her hut and explaining what happened to the parents, Rin was exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to climb onto her futon at home and sleep. With that thought in mind Rin picked up her pace and hurried towards her hut.

Once she was safely inside she let out a sigh of relief and began to untie her hair, but stopped abruptly when she sensed his presence.

"What do you want Lord Sessho-maru?" she practically snarled.

"Rin…" he said softly.

She was so different…she obviously was unhappy to see him…that much was evident, but why was she so angry? She smelled wonderful, and his inner demon purred. Shaking himself from his stupor he remembered his first goal…to get answers, his mate owed him several explanations, and he would not be satisfied until they were answered.

"Rin…" her name rolled off his tongue.

"What?" she snapped.

"There are some things I would like answered—" he began.

"What right do _you _have to ask me questions?" she all but growled.

"The fact that I have been searching for you for many months is not enough?" asked Sessho-maru quietly.

"No it's not." said Rin scowling at him.

"Rin…"he began again.

"NO! I owe you NOTHING!" snapped Rin storming into another part of her hut, she was soaked and needed to get warm as soon as possible.

Sessho-maru bit back a snarl that was building up in his throat…She was hurt, he had caused that hurt…now it was his job to take away that hurt. As her life mate it was his job to protect her and make her happy, and if letting her rail at him would help to ease him back into her life then that's what he would allow her to do.

"Let me ask _you_ something Lord Sessho-maru, why are **you** here?" asked Rin as she began to build a fire in her small fire pit centered in the middle of the small hut.

"I was looking for you." He wasn't lying, he just wasn't telling her all of it. He had a feeling that if he were to try and tell her all of it she would panic and run again, and that was the last thing he wanted…

"Why were you wasting your time looking for me?" sighed Rin as the fire became stable.

"Wasting my time?" asked Sessho-maru confused.

"Yes, you were trying to marry me off, I was nothing but a hindrance to you…hence why I said you were 'wasting' your time." growled Rin.

Sessho-maru's inner demon jumped, startling him. He was pretty sure that Rin had no idea that she was challenging his dominance when she growled at him like that. Just the thought of her submitting to him was enough to cause his body to shiver with anticipated pleasure.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has been following this story and reviewing it. It is encouraging to know that there are people who are actually reading it :). Please continue to R&R. Also on another note, please remember this story is rated M and the as much as I may wish it I do not own any of the characters from Inuyasha. I only claim ownership to the plot. I will try to update again before Christmas, but if I do not I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thanks and I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter Seven

Rin paused taking a moment to take a deep breath…the sooner she listened to him and answered his questions the sooner he would leave and she could be left to return to her new way of life. Now she just had to manage to maintain a civil tongue and hope that all of this would be over quickly.

"What do you want Lord Sessho-maru?" sighed Rin in defeat as she sunk to the floor in front of the fire and began to comb her hair with her fingers.

"I want you to answer my questions…" began Sessho-maru.

"Is that all? Will you leave after?" prompted Rin.

"That remains to be seen, your answers will help me determine my next course of action." replied Sessho-maru who followed example and took a seat in front of the fire on the opposite side from her. Truthfully he already _knew_ what he was going to do next, but there was no sense in alerting Rin to that particular piece of information, especially considering how wary she was being.

"Very well…ask your questions…" Rin sat there somewhat impatiently waiting for Sessho-maru to begin his interrogation.

They sat in silence for several minutes each of them putting their thoughts in order…Sessho-maru trying to decide what was the first thing he wanted to discuss. He had been looking for her for so long, and now that he had found her part of him was almost hesitant to begin especially knowing how she had already reacted to his presence.

"What happened to you after you ran from me? Where did you go?" his question broke the silence and he looked at her with his golden eyes refusing to allow her to break the contact.

"I ran…I ran until it started to rain, eventually though I lost my balance and fell down a hill. When I woke up I had sprained my ankle and was disoriented as to my location. I found shelter in a cave, waited out the storm, and then struck out on a road that was nearby. I eventually stumbled into this village and ended up helping one of the sick children, and then decided to stay on. I have been here ever since." finished Rin, she was sure to leave out the parts about her crying herself to sleep at night, and the waking dreams about him, or how she had learned to fight. Those were bits of information that were not really essential to the story itself.

"I see…" Sessho-maru sat there in silence allowing all that she had said to be absorbed. He looked up from his thoughts and glanced at her from across the fire. The sweet, adoring little child that had hung on his every word was gone, and in her place was a strong, hardened woman, more beautiful than any human or demon he had ever seen. She had the ability to weaken him as no one ever had before, and she was not even aware of it.

"Have you…have you been well?" Sessho-maru hesitated, she appeared to be healthy; her body curvaceous, giving no sign of illness or disease. The only thing flawed upon her person was the four faint scars that ran down the side of her cheek. When his gaze locked on the scars he had to forcibly keep himself from flinching and glancing away. They were a reminder of his failure to her, and of his attempt to push her away, because of his own fears and weaknesses.

"I have been fine Lord Sessho-maru…you needn't have worried…" mumbled Rin looking into the fire.

"Rin." That was all he said and yet it was a command in and of itself.

Rin jerked her head up to meet his gaze across the fire once again. She found it unsettling; the look in his eyes was intense to say the least, part of her wanted nothing more than to run across the room and jump into his arms and never move, but another more dominate part of her reminded herself that the last time they had met he had intended to give her away to another. She visibly flinched at the unwelcome thought and broke the eye contact, reverting her eyes back to the flames.

"Look at me." He ordered this time much more forcefully, his voice coming out more as a growl.

Again Rin's head shot up and their eyes met. Even when he had last seen her he had never used such a tone with her, and it was making her uncomfortable.

"Yes?" she hesitated.

"We have much to discuss…" he began, but Rin cut him off before he could go further.

"If you are trying to find me another husband, you should save yourself the trouble and leave now. I have no intention of marrying—ever." stated Rin calmly, while throwing another log onto the dying flames.

Sessho-maru let a growl escape his throat. The idea of giving her to another had his demon in an uproar. It was simply unacceptable—she was _his._ And he would never let her go. Just the fact that he had once considered it was enough to make him want to destroy something at.

"I have not come to find you a husband Rin. I realize that before I had made the decision I should have made sure that it was your desire to marry." Finished Sessho-maru, it was no apology, but coming from him it was as close as she was going to get.

"Then **why** are you here?" asked Rin puzzled, no antagonism in her voice, merely confusion.

Sessho-maru paused for a moment, he had no doubt in his mind that if he were to tell her that she was his mate she would run, and fight him every step of the way. He did NOT want that, he wanted his mate willing, and if that meant that he would have to take things slower than he originally planned then so be it. He was many things and being patient was one of them. He would slowly court his young life mate, and get her to accept him, and once she had come to care for and accept him, then and only then would he claim her. For now his goal was to simply get her to tolerate his presence enough that she would not try to flee every time that they encountered one another. Suddenly and idea took root, and before he could brush it off, it planted itself firmly in his mind and refused to be cast aside.

"I want you to travel with Jaken and myself again." stated Sessho-maru firmly, leaving no room for disagreement.

"Why would I do that?" asked Rin irritated.

"Because I am saying you will." replied Sessho-maru simply.

Rin snorted and stood up. Making her way over to one side of the room she grabbed the pot, before disappearing outside the hut. A few minutes later she ducked back inside and set the water over the fire so that it could begin to boil.

"Listen here Lord—ACHOO!" Rin began but her tirade was interrupted by a loud sneeze.

Sessho-maru stood up and grabbed Rin forcing her to sit back down.

"Sit still, your clothes are still wet…" sighed Sessho-maru shrugging his fur off of his shoulder and carefully wrapping it around her before sitting down next to her. He was not touching her, his goal was not to make her fight him, it was simply to care for her; he was her mate after all whether she was aware of it or not.

"What are you doing?" questioned Rin already preparing to shrug off the fur he had wrapped around her. He had never, NEVER done this before, and this unknown territory was throwing her off balance to say the least.

Before she could even move, her hands were gripped and immobilized.

"Stop it Rin. You need to stay warm." ordered Sessho-maru glaring at his young mate.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** Okay I am so sorry I haven't been able to update recently. I have been super busy with school. This is a relatively short chapter, however I am hoping to post the next chapter soon so keep your fingers crossed. Please remember to R&R!

Also remember this is a rated M story, if you don't care for that sort of thing then turn back now. Also I do not own any characters from Inuyasha, or make a profit off of my story. Feel free to contact me with any questions, ideas etc. Hopefull my next chapter of Beauty and the Beast will be up tonight too.

Chapter Eight

Too exhausted to argue Rin closed her eyes, letting sleep overtake her at last. While Sessho-maru watched on in silence.

*Flashback*

_It was snowing outside, he looked towards the mouth of the cave, all he could see was blanketed in white. It had been snowing for several days, and while he could tolerate the weather, he knew his young ward and servant could not. So he had provided it for them. _

_His attention was draw back to the present by a chest rattling cough, and gasping drawn-in breath. He quickly glanced towards the young girl lying by the fire across the cave. She looked sickly, no doubt from playing in the snow earlier that day. Her skin was flushed pink, and her breathing was irregular. Her eyes were clenched shut and her body was visibly shivering. He sighed and pushed himself to his feet. Slowly he walked over to where she was laying and gracefully sat down next to her. _

_Her teeth were chattering and she curled herself into a small ball, while trying to stay warm. Gently so as not to wake her, he scooped her up with his one intact arm and placed her securely in his lap, he wanted to be certain, that if something happened to her during the night, he would know immediately. After she had settled in his lap, he wrapped his pelt around her, followed by his arm. Just as he closed his eyes he heard her faint voice mumble something. Re-opening his eyes he glanced down at her questioningly._

_"Lord Sessho-maru…I don't want to get you sick…really…I'm okay…" she muttered even as she snuggled deeper into his embrace. _

_"Foolish girl, this Sessho-maru does not get sick. Be still and sleep." He scolded, his gentle tone taking the harshness of his words away._

_"…Love…you …Lord Sessho-maru…" whispered Rin as she drifted off into a dreamless sleep._

_He sat there frozen, he was a powerful demon, who would sooner kill humans than look at them, and yet here, the power this one little girl held over him left him speechless. He didn't need anyone's love, and yet he craved Rin's. Her fearlessness of him, her utter devotion, it left him in awe of her. He may not have asked for it, he may not have wanted it, but he swore then and there he would always treasure it. The love she gave so innocently, to a demon that could kill her with a flick of his wrist…she loved him…she loved **him**… _

*End of Flashback*

Sessho-maru glanced at the woman sleeping before him now. Despite his oath that night, he had forgotten…and in essence rejected her love when he thought of offering her to another man. Perhaps that was part of the reason for her wariness around him. She was hurt by his rejection. Sessho-maru's demon growled, their mate was hurting…and he was unsure of how to repair the damage done. Only time and consistency would reassure her of his intentions. But now he was faced with the challenge of convincing her to travel with him again. She had nearly lost her temper when he had "ordered" her earlier, and if not for her cold that conversation could have ended very differently, especially since his demon was struggling to get to the forefront of his awareness every time she challenged him. She was the submissive in the relationship, he was the alpha, and every time she refused to listen, growled, or fought him, he just wanted to grab her body and pin her under him, and show her why he was the alpha. Of course these thoughts did nothing to help him figure out what he was going to do about his current situation.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Notes:** I am so sorry it's taken me this long to put this chapter up, I've been busy, just moved and all, but I was inspired this evening and thus another chapter was written. Thank all of you lovely people who have been reading my story, it's a beautiful and inspiring thing when I recieve compliments and encouragment. I will hopefully update again soon. Please remember to R&R! As I have said before I really do want to hear what you have to say, it is because you guys rate and review that I am still writting this story-something to think about :) You know if you want me to keep writing (and yes that is a poorly veiled threat, some of you may call that blackmail...I simply call it a grey area, but hey who's judging?)

Please keep in mind this story is rated M, mostly for future chapters, if that bothers you read something else :) Also please remember I do not own any characters from Inuyasha no matter how much i wish upon my Shikkon Jewel...*sigh* I only claim ownership of the twisted plot, and insaness that I force the characters into.

Hopefully another chapter of Beauty and the Beast will be posted this week too. Thanks for all your love 3 Enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter Nine

Rin awoke to the sound of birds chirping and sunlight dancing across her face, keeping her eyes closed she snuggled deeper into the warmth that surrounded her. It was very rare that she slept in past sunrise, often awoken by unpleasant…painful dreams and memories. This morning however was an exception, for some reason she could not recall she felt completely at ease and content. It was at this moment however that she noticed her pillow moving, and a beating sound resonating under her ear. Suddenly **all** the events of yesterday came crashing back. She gasped as her eyes shot open, she frantically looked around as she noticed two arms securely holding her to a chest, and she looked up straight into the eyes of Sessho-maru.

"Good morning Rin. I trust you are feeling better?" he asked, unable to completely conceal his amusement at the panicked expression that had crossed her face just moments before.

"B—Better? Oh, yes! Much! Thank you….um…you can let me go now…" Rin mumbled fighting the rising blush on her cheeks.

Sessho-maru chuckled, she was rather cute when flustered, not quiet as prickly, he'd have to keep that in mind the next time one of their disagreements arose. Opening his arms; he watched as she scrambled in them, her legs tangled with his and his fur, valiantly struggling to free herself from his lap.

Rin sighed in relief once she was free, and as she glanced back over at Sessho-maru she thought for a moment that he looked almost disappointed, she had definitely noticed his amusement at her shock a few moments earlier. She felt herself smile, he was a beautiful and dangerous man, but he was breathtaking when he smiled, his eyes changed color, going from a rich dark gold, into something much lighter to the where they almost glowed. Over the years that she had travelled with him and Jaken, and every so often she would catch him watching her out of the corner of his eye and there would be a faint, but distinct tilt of his lips showing his own mirth at hers' or Jaken's predicament. Suddenly remembering she was not alone, Rin shook herself out of her daydream and headed for the entrance of the hut.

"Where are you going Rin?" asked Sessho-maru quietly, his voice so soft, but it had a note of underlying steel to it.

"To get breakfast, hopefully one of my traps will be full." she muttered refusing to glance back and acknowledge that his intimidation had actually worked.

"Do not take long, if I have to find you I cannot guarantee you will like what I will do to you…" threatened Sessho-maru, his eyes narrowing and his body tensing, anticipating the potential hunt.

Rin fought back the shiver that raced down her spine at his threat. She was so confused, before she had left he had been willing to marry her off to someone else, and now he sat eyeing her as if she was a meal and he was a starving man. It unnerved her how fast he shifted his emotions, **and** how much he still had sway over her heart. Shaking her head, she briefly looked up and jerked her head in a nod, before she darted out the door. It appeared as if the whole day was going to throw her off balance, and she scowled at that thought.

Sessho-maru fought back another chuckle as he watched her dash out of the hut, it was good to know that she was affected by him—it encouraged him to continue his dogged pursuit of her. Waking up to have her lying in his lap, safe in his arms, and her breath against his chest had been glorious. After having looked for her for so long, and not only having found her, but also finding that she was his mate left him speechless. It was a feeling he wanted to awaken to every morning, and would be hard pressed in the future to not demand that she sleep against him again. Admittedly though, he was going to have to try and subtly coax her into their future relationship, otherwise she would bolt and kami only knew how long it would take to find her if she ran again. His demon side snarled at the idea of his mate running again, reassuring himself that he would not allow that to happen, he rose and headed outside, Rin had been gone long enough, it was time to go find her and make sure she was coming back and not trying to run **again**.

Rin sighed in relief as she found another one of her traps full, she had been worried that she would not have enough food to feed the both of them, and then she would have been forced to go fishing. And if she was honest with herself, she hated fishing, it required patience and timing and Rin was not a person who enjoyed sitting still for long periods of time. She looked over the stream again, silently sending up her thanks to the kami, she had a couple of rabbits now and they would make a fairly decent meal, quickly skinning them, she cleaned the kills and separated the furs, tying the rabbits together with some rope. Then she waded into the stream up to her lower calf, letting the cold water wash away the blood on her hands, once her hands were clean she waded out and dried her hands on her kimono. Hanging up the skins and rabbits on a nearby tree, she let her thoughts wander and grabbed the now empty traps and proceeded to reset them in the forest. The day before Sessho-maru had mentioned his desire to have her travel with them again, and for some reason that meant a lot to her. But the real question was—did she want to? While she was satisfied with her life presently, she wasn't happy—there was always something missing. On the other hand however if she were to accept Sessho-maru's "offer", Rin snorted at that thought, could she trust Sessho-maru with her heart again? Because undoubtedly if she went with him, her heart would fall into his hands all over again. Was she willing to risk that? Was she willing to spend however much of her life by a demon's side, one who would never return her love? Could she? But the even scarier question was, did she really want to refuse him?

Rin looked up and sighed, "What am I going to do?"

"No, a better question is, what am I going to do to you?" asked Sessho-maru appearing behind her.

Rin tensed—what the hell? She had **not **been gone that long. "Lord Sessho-maru?" she squeaked out, jumping when she felt his breath on her neck. She tried to take a step back, but his response made her freeze once more.

"No Rin." He mumbled against her skin.

"Lord Sessho-maru?" she asked fighting the blush on her skin.

"No Rin…" he repeated.

"…What?" she asked confused.

"For you it is simply Sessho-maru…I am not your lord…" At least not yet, he mentally added, as took a deep breath, while nuzzling her neck.

"…um…Sessho-maru?" she asked, cringing when her voice cracked.

Sessho-maru chuckled against her neck, "Yes Rin?"

"What are you doing?" she jumped as she felt something warm and wet press against the skin behind her ear and trail down to the juncture of her neck.

"I told you I would come find you Rin. I warned you." whispered Sessho-maru as his arms wrapped around her waist.

"B—But I was on my way back…I wasn't gone **that** long either." snorted Rin trying to maintain her bravado, which was failing her as quickly as it had come, especially when he replaced he tongue with his teeth and began to nip at the same spot on her shoulder.

"It was long enough…" replied Sessho-maru, suddenly releasing her.

Rin fought to keep her balance as she felt him suddenly release her; she spun around to find him watching her, his eyes practically glowing. She gulped.

"Have you given any thought to my question?" he asked.

"Question?" Rin paused, what question?

"I believe I asked you to resume traveling with Jaken and this Sessho-maru."

"Ordered is more like it…" snorted Rin.

"That is beside the point, your answer?" he pressed, he had been hoping she would forget about that, it seemed as though she had not, but he had been surprised by her passiveness when he began his assault on her neck. That had been a pleasant surprise, one that his demon had been more than willing to continue with. But he feared that if he pressed for too much too soon he would well and truly loose her. So against his demons howls and growls he had released her, and changed the conversation. Now he just hoped that she would agree to return to travelling with them.

Rin paused, this was it, this was the moment—this decision she had no doubt would change her life no matter which direction she decided upon.

Taking a deep breath Rin met his eyes and spoke, "I have given it some thought, and have decided to accept your offer…I miss it…" she mumbled breaking eye contact, there was no way she was going to tell him that she missed **him**, not the traveling.

The pressure that had been building in his chest eased, and he fought the sudden and strange urge to smile like an idiot. The door to his metaphorical trap had just slammed shut, trapping Rin with him. If she thought that this was the end of where he was going with this, she was in for a shock. His demon howled in anticipation, showing him ideas of how to go about proving himself. He was going to court his young mate, he was going to prove to her that he was the male meant to be in her life—the **only **male, and once she accepted…she was going to be his.


	10. Chapter 10

Hello all my lovelies, first i want to thank all of you who have been following and reviewing this story, yoiur comments, thoughts and love mean a lot. Next I want to say sorry that I haven't updated this story in awhile but I have been suffering from what most of you can relate to, "Writer's Block" I couldn't seem to put words to my ideas :(, and lastly i want to point out a few things, first is that YES Jaken is nasty, that is my point. Throughout the series Jaken is constantly insulting Rin, so isn't it realistic to assume that his words would have some affect on Rin? Next is that we are finally starting a new point in the story, the journey where Sesshy tries to woo our young Rin *wiggles eye brows* interesting right lol. I am hoping to update this story again soon, but no promises. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave reviews, i have no idea if you love or hate me sometimes lol.

Also please remember this story is rated M and will continue to be so, and that I do not own any of the characters but I DO claim the insane plot that makes up this story. Lots of love, and I hope you enjoy this latest chapter.

Chapter Ten

Rin stared at Sessho-maru as he stood there, already beginning to question her own sanity for agreeing to travel with him again. What had she been thinking? He could not, _would not _love her, and it broke her heart all over again to know that history was bound to repeat itself. However she contented herself with the knowledge that at least this time she was a grown, independent woman, who was more than capable of taking care of herself. If things took a turn for the worse she could simply tell him she was through and leave.

Sessho-maru eyed his mate, her facial expressions were surprisingly blank and immediately his guard was up, he knew she was planning something, the only question was what? If she thought that he would allow her to put a barrier between them she had another thing coming. She was going to be his, body, heart, and soul.

"How long will it take you to prepare? This Sessho-maru would like to leave as soon as possible." Questioned Sessho-maru, the sooner he was able to get her away from this village, the sooner he could begin courting her in true demon fashion.

"An hour or so I think, I need to let the villagers know." said Rin shrugging noncommittally.

"Why must you let them **know**? You owe them nothing." growled Sessho-maru, as he recalled that this was the same village that had often beaten her as a child. When he had met her for the first time she had had faint scratches and a couple small bruises and he had given it little thought. But when she had come back to him later that evening and he had seen the fresh bruises that covered her face and hands he had known without a doubt that she was being beaten, the further damning evidence was the in the form of the scent all over her, as that only happened when skin came into contact with other skin. To known that a child who had been trying to do him a favor had been punished and beaten had angered him like nothing ever had before. Indeed if he had been at full strength he would have more than likely gone into the village and slaughtered them all.

"They have been good to me. I'm especially going to miss the children…" muttered Rin irritated dragging Sessho-maru out of his bloodthirsty thoughts.

"They used to **beat** you, or have you forgotten?" growled Sessho-maru wishing that they would give him an opportunity to unleash his wrath upon them.

"Not all of them! Only the men." defended Rin.

"The women allowed it. No one protected you—no one cared." argued Sessho-maru.

"It doesn't concern you **Lord** Sessho-maru." sneered Rin, turning around and stomping back down the path towards her hut.

Sessho-maru fought down the growl that was bubbling up in his chest. His demon was seconds away from snatching her up and taking her right then and there until she could scream nothing but his name. She was too independent and defiant—**He** was the alpha, and his patience was sorely tested. His demon roaring at him to give into his urges, his desires.

Rin was already beginning to doubt her decision to travel with him, if he was going to be this way **all** the time she couldn't promise that she wasn't going to make an attempt on his life. Who did he think he was?! He was not her husband, she owed him no explanations. Upon reaching her hut Rin quickly grabbed a large pack that she had fashioned quickly packing up her rice, dried fish, and salted meat. After that she quickly packed her bed roll, strapping it to the bottom of the pack, following that she gathered her bandages, herbs, her spare kimonos, and other necessary supplies. Satisfied with packing Rin then saw to the next most important task, arming herself. She quickly attached her kunai knives to her hidden compartments of her kimono, followed by the long kantana strapped to her back, and her staff, which served multiple purposes. Sighing to herself Rin slung her pack over her shoulder, grabbing her staff Rin exited the hut, and leaving her home of these past months behind.

Sessho-maru watched as Rin exited the hut, noting the pack and visible weapons that she had strapped to her person, and again his inner demon roared. Did she think that he was incapable of protecting her that she must arm herself? He was her mate, it was his duty and privilege to protect and provide for her. He tried to calm his demon with the knowledge that Rin was unaware of demonic courtships and therefore had no knowledge of the fact that she was challenging him. In response his demon rumbled discontentedly, but quieted none the less.

Ignoring him Rin continued walking past him heading towards the village. She was still so annoyed, this was **not** the Lord Sessho-maru that she remembered, in fact his domineering behavior was so opposite from anything that she remembered that she was having a hard time reconciling herself with this new development. She recalled that as a child he was often unconcerned with the trouble that she would manage to get herself into, many times simply smacking Jaken on the head with a projectile and telling her to prepare to leave. While he often kept her safe, she never thought herself to be a priority to him. After all she was just some homeless urchin that had followed him around. Jaken had made the point of reminding her that he had no responsibilities or obligations to her—that everything he did, he did out of pity.

*Flashback*

_ "RIN!" wailed Jaken outraged._

_ "Yes Master Jaken?" asked Rin puzzled._

_ "What are you doing?!" he squawked._

_ "Picking flowers for Lord Sessho-maru. Aren't they pretty Master Jaken?" asked Rin holding up the small bouquet for the imp to see._

_ "Foolish girl! What would Lord Sessho-maru want with your little flowers?" snapped Jaken irritated._

_ "I always give him flowers…" mumbled Rin quietly._

_ "The Mighty Lord Sessho-maru has no use for them, he just tolerates them, just like he tolerates **you**!" whined Jaken._

_ "Master Jaken?" asked Rin confused._

_ "Fool! Do you even know why you are alive today?" challenged the imp._

_ "Of course! Lord Sessho-maru saved me!" chirped Rin cheerfully._

_ "It was an experiment!" Jaken blurted out angrily._

_ "Huh?" asked Rin even more lost._

_ "Lord Sessho-maru wanted to see if his sword was as powerful as Totosai claimed it to be. You were a convenient test subject. " shrugged the green little imp._

_ "But, Lord Sessho-maru let me come with him…" whispered Rin fighting back tears that had begun to form in her eyes._

_ "**My **lord, only allows you to travel with him out of pity, what would a poor little orphan like you do on your own?" taunted Jaken. _

_ "Lord Sessho-maru likes me! I know he does!" cried Rin throwing down the flowers she had gathered._

_ "Hah! Shows what you know little human!" he snarled._

_ "Jaken, Rin." a quiet voice cut through their conversation._

_ "Lord Sessho-maru!" squawked the imp jumping in surprise at the sound of his voice._

_ "Let us be off." Lord Sessho-maru stated sweeping by them, to grab the dragon's reins._

_Rin glanced down at the flowers and back towards her lord; Jaken's words ringing in her ears. Quickly brushing the tears from her eyes she scampered after them, in fear of being left behind. That had been the last time she ever gathered flowers for him. _

*End of Flashback*

As the village came into view Rin slowed her pace and glanced back over her shoulder surprised to see Sessho-maru following at a slightly slower pace behind her. Refocusing her attention on the villagers she headed over towards the head villager's hut, in order to inform his wife of her departure, trying to ignore the whispers that were following her as the villagers noticed the demon lord following closely behind her.

Sessho-maru fought back the growls and snarls as he noticed the lustful gazes that were trained upon Rin's person. That these pathetic humans thought that they stood a chance at winning her affections made him want to kill them all, eliminating their threat and punishing them for their arrogance. There was no competition, she was _**his**_ mate, and anyone who stood in the way of that would find themselves gutted faster than they could blink. He was brought out of his thoughts when he noticed a young man stepping into Rin's path and placing his hand upon her arm. Before he even thought about it, he had moved directly to her side, snarling at the man touching her.

Rin blinked in surprise as she recognized the young man in front of her as Kenchi, but she stiffened as she felt Sessho-maru appear next to her shoulder and heard the snarl escape his lips. Slowly she turned her head and looked over at Sessho-maru, wondering what he was doing; he had never reacted this way when she had played with Kohaku while she was growing up or any other person she had encountered for that matter. Focusing her attention back on Kenchi she realized that he had gone white and was quickly backing away from her as fast as humanly possible.

"Kenchi?"

"R-Rin, I want-ted to t-talk to y-you…" he managed to stutter out.

Another snarl erupted from Sessho-maru at his statement, how dare he act familiar with her! She was HIS.

Rin blinked in surprise at Sessho-maru's aggressiveness, but accredited to the facts that he hated humans and that he wanted to leave immediately.

"Of course Kenchi, what can I do for you?" asked Rin politely.

"D-Does h-h-he have t-to be h-here?" asked Kenchi timidly as his eyes darted over to Sessho-maru.

"Oh, oh, excuse me for a moment Lor-I mean Sessho-maru." mumbled Rin fighting the growing blush on her cheeks as she took a step towards where the young man was standing.

"This Sessho-maru does not excuse you, we need to be leaving, we have wasted enough time." stated the lord as he stood next to her and took hold of her arm, in order to guide her out of the village, with force if necessary, not that he was going to tell her that.

"L-Leaving?" Kenchi stuttered out surprised.

"Yes, I was on my way to see Yuna to tell her that she could let someone use my hut if they need it, since I've decided to leave the village." shrugged Rin.

"Where will you go?" asked Kenchi fighting the disappointed frown that he could feel making its way onto his face.

"She goes with **me** human." growled Sessho-maru tightening his grip on her ever so slightly.

"Y-YOU?!" he gasped in shock.

"Yes. You will tell this Yuna what Rin has said, we are leaving." snapped Sessho-maru leading Rin towards the outskirts of the village.

Rin was dumbfounded as Sessho-maru pulled her along. What had just happened?


	11. Chapter 11

Hello all, here is another chapter, I promise the next chapter will have some heavy citrus but I wanted to hold off a little bit longer for the lemon. Rin is still confused as to what Sessho-maru wants exactly and it's not like he has come out and explained anything yet either. I want this to be as realistic as possible therefore she's still got some crap to work through, not to mention all of her self confidence issues caused by her knowledge that Sessho-maru always said he hated humans. I'm probably going to be updating again soon.

Another note, thank you to all who review, add, follow, fav, etc. Please keep it up, I really do appreciate you taking the time to do so, and it helps to encourage me to continue writing this story so please R&R!

Also please remember this is rated M, and will continue to be so, and also that I do not own any of the characters from Inuyasha only the insanity of the plot made up by my unstable mind. Thank you so much for your love and support, I hope you enjoy this latest chapter.

**Chapter Eleven**

"Um…Sessho-maru?" asked Rin hesitantly.

"Yes Rin?" was the calm and stoic response, from the man who had only moments ago been snarling savagely.

"Why did you—" she began but was cut off.

"LORD SESSHO-MARU!" the small green imp shouted in excitement.

"Jaken." was his only comment.

"Lord Sessho-maru, how could you leave—who is this pathetic human?" Jaken questioned annoyed.

"Master Jaken, it's good to see you." replied Rin smiling cheerfully.

"R-RIN?!" the little toad croaked out in surprise, she had certainly grown in the time that had passed. He quickly turned to face Sessho-maru and hopped around excitedly, "I always knew milord would find her, Lord Sessho-maru is the bravest, most noble demon that—" he began to gush.

"Silence." ordered Sessho-maru irritated with the imp's voice, walking past both of them, he grabbed Ah-Un's reins and began walking, briefly glancing over his shoulder to look directly at Rin, "Let us be off, this Sessho-maru wants to be deep into the forest before nightfall."

Rin tilted her head and curiously examined the demon lord before, ignoring Jaken's ramblings in the process, he had never explained where they were going when they had previously traveled together, so why was he bothering to do so now. Usually he would simply order them to stop for the night and allow Rin some time to find herself something to eat before they settled down for the evening and he would stand guard over them as they slept. Shrugging it off as another peculiarity of the demon she easily kept pace and allowed her thoughts to wander. Abruptly she was brought out of her thoughts when she collided directly into the back of Lord Sessho-maru, clenching her eyes shut Rin braced herself for impact with the hard dirt floor, only it never came. Slowly opening her eyes, they widened when she realized that the reason she was protected from falling was because Sessho-maru had grabbed her and tucked her against his chest, keeping her balanced and preventing her from falling. Fighting off her blush Rin looked up and found him staring at her with an unknown intensity; quickly untangling herself from him she took a step back, and looked at the ground, cursing her emotions as she felt her face heat.

"Thank you Sessho-maru…" she mumbled embarrassed.

"You are most welcome Rin." chuckled the demon lord, who had enjoyed the feeling of her body pressed against him. His demon purring in agreement, that he should find more ways to keep her against him more often.

Jaken stood there speechless, of the whole exchange only one thing stood out to him, "RIN! How dare you address Lord Sessho-maru so disrespectfully! He is far above you human and you would think to put yourself on the same level as **him**?!" he squawked indignantly.

Flushing with embarrassment Rin turned around, locking her fingers together and fidgeting uncomfortably. Leave it to Jaken to make her feel like a worthless child all over again in a matter of seconds. She bit her lip and winced as she drew blood with her worrying of it.

Jaken's ranting however was cut off by a vicious snarl. Looking around confused Jaken stared blankly until his eyes connected with the angry red ones of his lord.

"Do you presume to speak above **your** place servant?" growled Lord Sessho-maru coldly.

"N-No, Lord Sessho-maru, I was simply protecting—" he began to squeak out.

"Do not concern yourself with my business Jaken, the next time you speak to Rin in such a manner, a bruise will be the least of your concerns." he snarled enraged.

"Y-Yes, m-milord…" whimpered the tiny cowering servant.

"Very well, you have been warned, do not think I will grant you another chance." rumbled Sessho-maru much more calmly as his eyes faded back into their golden color. Turning his attention back to Rin he slowly approached her and lifted her chin with his index finger, slowly he swept his thumb across the blood that was trailing down the side of her mouth and onto her chin, wiping it away. Once clean he brought his finger to his lips and licked the blood off, all the while making sure he held Rin's attention. Without another word he turned back around and continued walking deeper into the forest. The sound of thunder in the distance drawing his attention, looking up at the sky he frowned. It was clear it was going to rain heavily and soon, he needed to get his mate out of the open and sheltered, beforehand. Scenting the air he picked up on the damp scent of earth, leading them to a small cave, concealed by the brush and trees surrounding it. Satisfied that this would suffice for the evening he turned his attention back towards his mate, "We will stop here for the night. Rain will be upon us soon, go into the caves—Jaken start a fire, Rin…stay put." he ordered turning around and walking back into the forest.

"Where are you going Lord Sessho-maru?!" cried Jaken.

"This Sessho-maru has something he must do. It does not concern you Jaken." he threatened.

"Y-Yes…" Jaken stuttered flinching at his lord's tone of voice.

Without another word Sessho-maru disappeared into the forest.

Rin huffed in irritation; once again it seemed that Sessho-maru believed that it was his right to order her around. Her days of following him like some lost little puppy and hanging on his every word while trying to please him were done with. She was her own person, reaffirming her own self-worth Rin strode out of the cave and into the forest.

"Rin!" cried the little imp.

"Yes Master Jaken?" asked Rin annoyed.

"Where are you going?" he whined.

"To get something to eat, I'll be back in a couple of minutes—don't worry." said Rin smiling as she ran off into the woods.

Lord Sessho-maru allowed his demon free reign as he scented the air in search of prey. His mate needed nutrients and it was his responsibility to provide her with only the best. Letting out a howl he locked onto his target and pounced.

Rin smiled as she walked back to the cave, it had been a quick hunt, and the rabbits had been easily caught, killed, and cleaned. Upon entering the cave she was happy to see that Jaken had a fire going and the cool temperatures had warmed by several degrees. Quickly grabbing a couple of thick sticks she fashioned a spit and set the rabbits to cook, before settling down near the fire and rubbing her hands together.

The sound of thunder rolled in the distance and Rin fought off a flinch—she still hated this weather with a passion. A few moments later Sessho-maru re-entered the cave, toting over his shoulder a massive boar. Blinking in surprise at one another, Rin because she had never seen Sessho-maru touch food, and Sessho-maru because he smelt the rabbits already cooking over the fire.

"Rin, where did the rabbits come from?" asked Sessho-maru already suspecting the answer.

"I went out and caught them, it was easy enough…" shrugged Rin unconcerned.

Sessho-maru's demon snarled—she had purposefully defied him **again**. He had told her to stay put and she had gone off and done what she pleased, completely disregarding his orders as her alpha. This was unacceptable. Throwing the boar on Jaken and striding over to Rin, he ordered over his shoulder that he clean and cook the boar. All that could be heard was a muffled response from the imp who was struggling valiantly to free himself from several hundred pounds of dead animal. Stopping in front of Rin, Sessho-maru reached down and yanked her up by her arm, not waiting for her response before throwing her over his shoulder and heading deep into the caves, it was time she learn who her alpha was, and this time she would have no doubts. He smirked to himself as the sound of thunder echoed throughout the cave; it would serve nicely to muffle any of her screams and moans.


	12. Chapter 12

Hello my lovelies! Here's another chapter with some cirtus in it, and please be aware there is an attempted rape scene **(NOT by SESSHO-MARU)** but I just wanted to give you a heads up. I realize this doesn't go very far yeat, but Rin is very scared, Sessho-maru had always expressed his distast for humans, combine that with the verbal abuse of Jaken and you have a very confused Rin. Yes more cute fluff will be coming up in the next chapter, but their journey is far from over, lots of drama shall be coming up soon too.

I want to take a moment to thank everyone who has been taking the time to review, fav, follow, and read this story, I really appreciate your support so please keep it up (like how I subtly slipped that in there? lol). I want to read what you guys think, like, ideas etc.

Also please remember this story is rated M, for obvious reasons, and will continue to be so for the entirety of the story. Also I do not own any of the characters from Inuyasha I only claim to own the looney plot I torture the characters with. And on that note I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter from To Be the Mate of a Lord!

**Chapter Twelve**

To say that Rin was shocked and confused were understatements, but even more than that she was pissed. Who did he think he was to manhandle her in such a manner? She had agreed to resume traveling with him…clearly that had been a mistake. As soon as the overbearing oaf put her down she intended to gather her things and leave—rain be damned. Suddenly they came to an abrupt halt; Rin glanced around trying to gage her surroundings only to the find that the room was illuminated through some unknown source of light, looking around at her surroundings Rin was surprised to see they we near a hot springs found deeper within the cave, the only sounds were her heavy breathing and the faint echo of the rain hitting the rocks. She futilely struggled over his shoulder one more time in the hope of his grip having loosened, only to find that he tightened it even more in retaliation.

"Put me down." ordered Rin viciously, contemplating using her hidden kunai knives on him if he refused to obey her.

"Rin." one word, it explained nothing, yet it held an authoritative note that until today she had only ever heard directed at Jaken.

"I swear Sessho-maru—" Rin began fingering her knives when she suddenly found herself right side up, looking directly up into the fierce eyes of the Lord of the West.

Sessho-maru stared down at Rin intently, she had been silently fuming as he carried her deeper into the cave, he had been surprised by her lack of outburst, admiring her strength of will and patience. He was going to enjoy this—his thoughts abruptly halted as he caught the last of what she had been saying…

"—I've had it, I thought that traveling with you again might have been a good idea, but clearly I was mistaken. I'm leaving! For good!" she snapped as she proceeded to spin around and storm away from him.

Something inside of him snapped. That she would think she could leave him…that he would **let **her was laughable, but his demon wasn't amused. He had been on edge since he found her again, his demon whispering, growling, and snarling suggestions and desires into his mind, and now she thought she could leave? His demon wanted her submission—now.

Without warning or hesitation Sessho-maru grabbed Rin by her arm, spun her round to face him and before she could protest further Rin found herself pinned to the floor on her back with Sessho-maru leaning over her, snarling ferociously. He had her arms restrained over her head with one hand, while he straddled her waist preventing further movement. Rin stared up at him dumbfounded when she met his eyes and found that they were once again bleeding into the deep blood red. He had never lost his composure like this when she had been a child, he believed it was weakness to show his emotions in such a manner, he had often told her so—so what the hell was he doing?!

"S-Sessho-maru?" she asked cursing when her voice cracked.

"You are not allowed to leave this Sessho-maru." he growled maintaining eye contact with her.

"You have no say over what I do!" snapped Rin struggling with renewed vigor.

"I have every right." he snarled pushing his face up against hers' so that they were nose to nose.

"NO! I'm not a piece of your property!" shouted Rin bucking her hips against his trying to jar him enough to release her.

Sessho-maru's demon purred, to feel his mate under him, rubbing against him, unconsciously scent marking him was pleasing. Soon he would be returning the favor, soon she would understand.

There was no warning, no time to react before Rin found Sessho-maru using his other hand to slowly begin untying the sashes of her kimono, spreading it open, so that her body was bared to his hungry gaze. She flushed in embarrassment and strained her hands against his grasp again, she had no idea what he was trying to do or why, but she wasn't comfortable with the way he was looking at her at that moment.

"Rin." it was said so quietly that she almost missed it. Ceasing her struggles and momentarily forgetting her anger she took pause to truly look at Sessho-maru, trying to understand what he wanted, what he was trying to say. He had never been a vocal person, most of the time he acted rather than spoke. He had always been that way…

*Flashback*

_He had been gone for a long time now…longer than Jaken had expected. He had ordered them to stay put and await his return, that had been two weeks ago. He had never left them for that long before._

_ She sat on a rock by the stream, her knees drawn up to her chest…not bothering to look around and take in the beauty of her surroundings. A twig snapped behind her, expecting to see Jaken or her lord she spun around with a large smile on her face, only to feel panic and the smile that had been forming on her face fade. It was neither of her companions, but instead it was a large man carrying a sword, obviously a samurai of some sort or another…possibly a bandit and he was staring at her with a malicious smile, the way a wolf looks at a rabbit before it tries to eat it._

_ "Hello little girl…what are you doing all the way out here by your lonesome self?" he asked approaching her, his gaze smoldering._

_ Rin had not encountered another human in quite some time, the last ones she had met had been Lord Inuyasha's companions and they had all been very nice, but this man was not any of those things. She knew she needed to leave—now. _

"_I-I'm not alone…I'm with M-Master Jaken…" stuttered Rin jumping off the rock and edging her way towards the forest's tree line._

_ "Where are you going? We're just starting to get acquainted." the man asked striding towards her much more quickly._

_Without waiting a moment longer she spun around and darted into the forest in hopes of finding Jaken. She was afraid this man could hurt her—she was all alone. She could hear him running after her, his footsteps drawing closer, when suddenly she was forcibly yanked backwards by her hair. Letting out a sharp cry of pain she lost her balance and found herself on the ground, the man leaning over her, reminding her of a slobbering animal. She swung her arms at him, making solid contact with his nose and hearing a disgusting crunch, she fought back a cringe when she saw blood beginning to poor out of it. The man howled in pain and repaid the punch with a hard slap to the side of her face, causing her head to snap to the side and blood to trickle out of her mouth._

_ "Bad move girlie…I was gonna play nice with you, but it seems like you prefer it rough." he chuckled darkly as Rin lay there stunned and trying to recover from the stinging pain on the side of her face. The man took advantage of that and began to cut, rip, and tear her clothes from her body. Quickly recovering Rin began to struggle anew only to receive another sharp slap, this time to the other side of her face._

_ "Now, now…if you hold still you might find you enjoy it." muttered the man sloppily slanting his mouth across the side of her face and neck. She could feel the spit and salvia on her skin, she felt bile rise up in her throat and tears beginning to form in her eyes. She shut her eyes, flinching when she felt him touch her again, this time palming her small breast roughly with his hand. Unable to fight the natural reflex Rin opened her mouth and screamed, "LORD SESSHO-MARU!" earning her another vicious slap. She yelped in pain and jerked her head away from him, keeping her eyes shut as her tears continued to fall silently. When all of the sudden his weight disappeared from her prone body. Quickly opening her eyes, she blinked in surprise to see Sessho-maru standing a short distance away from her with the man dangling in the air held up by his throat. Sessho-maru said nothing, ignoring the man's cries and pleas. He simply stared at the man for a long moment before he snapped his neck, his strength taking the head clean off the shoulders. He stared distastefully at the blood that had splashed upon his clothes for a moment before turning his attention back to her. _

_She flinched as she felt him look at her; embarrassed and humiliated Rin curled up into herself and fought back the urge to cry again. She began to softly rock herself back and forth, trying to calm herself down, afraid to see the same disgust in her lord's eyes when he looked at her. Suddenly she felt the ground beneath her disappear and her eyes flew open in shock. She glanced around to find herself in the arm of Sessho-maru; she met his gaze surprised to see only a calm steady gaze staring back at her. Ducking her head again, she released a breath she hadn't been aware she had been holding, closing her eyes and letting her body relax…she was safe…she was home._

*End of Flashback*

He had allowed her to sleep near him when she had begun to awake screaming from the nightmares. He had never said anything, but she would fall asleep by the fire and awaken to find herself asleep on his fur, by his side. Jaken never remarked upon it either, truth be told she suspected that he probably felt a little bit guilty that she had been in such a serious situation. It was never discussed, but it was only a few months later that Rin found herself in Kaede's village living with Inuyasha and his family.

Rin was brought out of her thoughts when she felt something warm and wet travel down the side of her throat towards her collar bone—his free hand gently beginning to run up and down her side, almost as if to reassure her. The feel of cool air touching her skin, where his hot breath and tongue had previously been trailing, causing her to shudder—her nipples hardening in response.

"Rin. When this Sessho-maru gives you an order, you are to obey." he whispered softly against her skin continuing his path, towards her breasts.

Rin couldn't say what prompted her next words, maybe it could be blamed on all the time she spent with Kagome and the learning of equality of women, or maybe on her own stubbornness, but she knew as soon as the words, "Go to hell." left her mouth that she had well and truly managed to piss him off.

Sessho-maru's head jerked up at her words a snarl escaping from his throat, using the hand that had been trying to calm her down he brought it to her chin forcing it up baring her throat to him in the process. His demon demanding her submission and compliance, he immediately lowered his mouth to the side of her neck and began to lick, suck, and nip at it roughly.

Rin tensed in surprise at the feel of his mouth aggressively on her neck, a moan erupting from her lips as he lavished her throat with his attention. She was almost beyond the point of caring anymore, but a persistent thought in the back of her mind would not let her worries go. Why was he doing this?

Satisfied that she was going to keep her head where he had moved it, he released his grip on her chin and traced his hand down the other side of her throat, before slowly brushing his fingertips over one of her hardened nipples. A growl of satisfaction humming through him as he heard her breathy moans and gasp of surprise, encouraged by her reactions he dragged his mouth away from her neck, ignoring his demon's whimpering complaints and began to kiss his way towards her neglected breast. Upon reaching it he swirled his tongue around the tightened peak teasingly before engulfing it in his mouth, sending Rin arching into the air and further into his embrace, a sharp hiss of satisfaction leaving her lips. He suckled at her breast contentedly for several minutes before switching his attention to the other one he had been caressing with his fingers, granting it the same treatment. Slowly releasing his grip upon her hands he trailed his other hand down towards the line of the cloth covering her womanhood, dragging his mouth away from her breast and up to the other side of her neck where he latched on, and once again began aggressively nipping and licking it. Meanwhile his hand slipped beneath the cloth and moved towards her heated center. His demon howled in pride as he felt her wetness coating his finger tips, gathering the moisture onto one of his fingers he gently began to rub her center, making sure to brush the spot he knew to be the center of her pleasure every so often. His movements abruptly halted however when the smell of salt and water assaulted his nose.

Rin mewled, part of her was terrified by what he was doing and wanted to stop everything and demand answers to the questions she had, but another more dominate part of her was telling her to relax and enjoy the sensations running through her body, it felt so **good**. He was being so gentle, making sure to take his time with her. She still had no idea what he was trying to convey or even where this entire thing was going to end, but she did know that there was no going back to what they had been now. That thought making her tense slightly, if this ended badly she would loose him all over again—for good…and deep down she knew it would, it was the only way this whole thing could end. He had always hated humans, maybe he tolerated her and maybe he asked (demanded) that she resume traveling with him, but his stance and belief of where humans stood in relevance to himself had always been crystal clear. They were nothing in his eyes, expendable and worthless. Was he planning on discarding her as soon as he had, had his fill? Was he simply planning on making her his whore? Tears streamed down the sides of her face at the thoughts racing through her mind.

Sessho-maru looked up into the eyes of his young mate and felt his heart constrict at the sight of the tears streaming down her face.

"Rin?" he asked softly.

In response she brought her arms up and around his neck clinging to him as great big sobs tore from her throat.

Uncertain as to what had upset her; he gently infolded her in his arms and began to lick away the tears that were running down her cheeks, a pained whimper escaping from him at the thought of her pain and unhappiness, his demon still at the forefront of his mind telling him to comfort her. He tightened his hold on her ever so slightly for a moment before he drew a short distance away from her, allowing him to look her in the eye.

"Rin?" he asked again this time while gently brushing his finger down the side of her face.

"…Sessho-maru…" she mumbled ducking her head, her face aflame.

He leaned his head down trying to catch her words. "Rin." it was an order this time.

"…why?" whispered Rin, her voice cracking.

Sighing against her hair, Sessho-maru tucked her against his chest reassuringly and began to let out a soft purr, trying to put her at ease.

Rin looked up at him in surprise, he had not pushed her away yet and no words of anger had left his mouth, she felt the thrum from his body and found it to be soothing, slowly closing her eyes she drifted into a dreamless sleep.

He nuzzled her hair as he felt her drifting off to sleep, something had upset his young mate, and he was completely uncertain as to what it was. Had he been too rough? Had he hurt her? Was she afraid he would hurt her? Questions raced through his mind causing his demon to pace in agitation. What ever it was that had caused her upset he would have to discover and rectify…immediately. Inhaling her scent he breathed a sigh of relief that for the moment she was where she belonged…in his arms, closing his eyes he followed his mate into a dreamless slumber.


End file.
